Will 2017 be the year of the great data awakening?

Right now, data is on everyone's lips, but the golden age of this market is only getting started in Finland. The ability to "speak data" will prove a powerful asset in the future.

Trust is created out of genuine interaction between people. The same goes for data. Data will tell you the truth if you have the courage to be open and receptive to what it is saying.

In the future, skilled users of data will have more and more power.
There is an abundance of data. There are also massive differences in how different companies relate to it and refine it. All data is not useful, nor is all data utilized. Not utilizing data may be due to several factors, such as low prioritizing, lack of skill or unyielding tools.

Data has to do with a great deal of passion and the desire to own and protect.

High-quality, diversely usable data cannot be taken for granted. The concepts of what high-quality, diverse data even means vary. Data has to do with a great deal of passion and the desire to own and protect. A great many companies already understand that data means power, but the strategy around it is often directed inwards.

The significance of measurability and results is still increasing, and customers are no longer satisfied with the basic target groups. Now, data and the target groups created on the basis thereof are expected to have intelligence that outperforms itself.

The market is awakening to the fact that not everyone talking about cars is interested in buying a new one and not all those interested in travelling can actually afford to travel. Context plays its role. Data is expected to have intelligence which machines alone are not able to produce and which experienced data analysts, for instance, can offer.

What is unique data cooperation made of?

It is more than combining online behavior data.

The recently launched cooperation of Aller Media and MTV in Finland started with an open attitude and the appreciation of the contents and skills of the other party. Cooperation is power, and operating across competitive borders is always strategically bold. Cooperation at this level could not be created without mutual trust and appreciation.

After reaching the point where the benefits offered by the cooperation can be discussed openly and honestly, the critical line has been crossed and both companies can benefit from not only the new, shared business operations but also from added value to their own, existing business operations.

Suspicion regarding motives kills fruitful cooperation, and the conference room should be filled with people who know the strengths of their represented companies but are humble enough to question their methods in the face of different skillsets.

Comprehensive contents and cutting edge technology are the beating heart of the new, shared data business operations. The objective of the cooperation is to offer the market genuine added value and unprecedented targeting data.

Comprehensive contents and cutting edge technology are the beating heart of the new, shared data business operations.

Shared productization is offered to media buyers in programmatic channels as Adform and Google Bidmanager and can be utilized in any media connected to those buying tools. The selection is developed in the shared media productization sessions on the basis of end-user feedback. The shared productization was published in January 2017.

After combining data on online behavior, the data used in the product development and targeting of media houses is also richer in nuances. This data offers more in-depth explanations for consumer behavior and targets of interest.

This means that the current product selection of media houses may remain unchanged, but the used technology and data is of better quality, and better results can be expected from campaigns. Contents can also be developed and customized in light of new information to meet the needs of consumers even better.

Data, at its best, transforms adverts into services

I am proud of the attitude with which data is processed and the resulting end products are developed. These productizations are developed in the vein of a personal service for an individual, even though the big picture is a very ambitious B2B concept.

It is a matter of honor to ensure that ethics and discretion are used when collecting and processing data and finally putting it to use in the everyday lives of people – as interesting contents and adverts that seem more like services. The work is founded on a genuine desire to improve the effectiveness of marketing and, as a result, sales.

The pioneers may need to wait a moment longer for the great data awakening of the market where data is flowing from basic action deeper and deeper into the structures of the business. Now, the pioneers of the industry are sharing and discussing their experiences.

It is a matter of honor to ensure that ethics and discretion are used when collecting and processing data.

It is also interesting to see the ways in which data can revolutionize the policies and basic values of companies. Those with the ability to utilize data correctly will have more and more power in the future. Written-down facts overrule even the loudest opinion if the opinion is based on a gut feeling that deviates from facts. I am looking forward to data year 2017!

Kirjoittaja

Sini KervinenHead of International Business Development, Data Refinery